430 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



highly essential to perfect health, it is a serious question 

 whether or not water in front of a cow is altoo^ether a oood 

 thing, especially if the cow is thereby deprived of her daily 

 exercise. Such contrivances are costly on the one hand, but 

 are convenient and labor-saving on the other. 



To keep cows clean involves time and labor ; how to reduce 

 these to lowest terms is important. There is a variet}^ of 

 tie-ups, and about as many ditierent opinions regarding the 

 same. Probably for most dairymen some form of stanchion 

 will, on the whole, be best. This because the cow is held 

 more firmly in place, and cannot track so much manure 

 upon the platform, as is often the case where a cow is 

 fastened by chains ; and then, too, with stanchions it is 

 possil)le to fasten a short chain to one upright by staple 

 in front or rear, just below the throat of the cow, and in the 

 other upright there should be a sta})le with an eye. The 

 chain, provided with a snap at one end, should be just long 

 enough to reach across and catch into this eye. This chain 

 can be used to keep the cow from lying down after she has 

 been cleaned, and unfastened after the milking has been 

 accomplished. 



The floor planks in the i)latform nnist be of proper length, 

 and should always be as short as possible for the cow to 

 stand on comfortably, and if the cows vary in size, should 

 be, sa}', 4 feet 2 inches at one end and 4 feet 8 inches, more 

 or less, at the other, depending u})on the size of the cows, 

 and th(! cows tied according to size, the smallest at one end 

 and so on up to the largest. The gutter behind the cows 

 should be as deep as the circumstances will allow, and not 

 too wide. By this arrangement the mamire is dro})i)ed in 

 the gutter, and but httle on the platform. By keeping the 

 manure ofl' the cows, nmch subseijuent labor is saved. 



The cows during i)criods of confinement in the stable 

 should be groomed enough to keep them clean, aside from 

 cleaning their Hanks and udders. This work can l)e easily 

 and (|uickly done l)y using a partially worn-out broom with 

 a part of the handle sawed ofi*. A man with snap in him, a 

 live man, with this implement, using both hands, can go 

 over a fair-sized herd of animals in the time usually taken 



